We have a long and proud history dating back nearly 60 years.
In 1955 Clarrie Wright purchased a Reo bus and 500 gallons of petrol (which turned out to be water), to run the bus on two routes with six other operators. These routes were the 511 from North Essendon to Sydney Road and the 510 from Melville Road to High Street, along Moreland Road. The 510 still operates today, and has been extended to operate from Essendon to Ivanhoe Station.
By 1969 Clarrie had bought out the six other operators and had registered the name Moreland Bus Lines. The same year his son Peter Wright joined Moreland full time as the company had grown to be operating nine vehicles.
The mid-seventies saw further expansion with the purchase of three charter coaches, along with three school runs from Thompson Roadlines in 1973, which started the new company Travel Well Charters Pty Ltd, later changed to Moreland Travel Pty Ltd (a licensed travel agency). Then in 1975 Moreland operated its first camping tour, travelling to Perth (in a Bedford Duple) over 300kms of unmade roads across the Nullarbor Plain. The next year saw the purchase of a tour coach and camping equipment, starting safari tours to Central Australia, with 60% of the roads unmade to navigate.
The eighties saw further expansion into camping safaris and also hundreds of pokies trips to the border of VIC/NSW. In 1985 the purchase of Taranto Bus Lines secured the operation of Route 512 from Strathmore to East Coburg. Towards the end of the eighties Geographical Tours and Bakers Bus Lines were purchased which gave Moreland further expansion into the school bus market in the areas of Sunbury, Wallan and Whittlesea. In 1988 Clarrie Wright retired leaving his son Peter to carry on the company.
By the nineties Moreland Bus was servicing all facets of the bus and coach industry from route service, charters, school runs, group tours and inbound transfers. In 1996, the purchase of Landmark Tours, paved the way for entry into express coach operations and a long term relationship with Greyhound Australia providing coaches for their express network which still continues today.
By the early two thousands Peter’s sons Michael and Robert joined the company full time to become the third generation of Wright’s to continue on the proud history. About this time the advent of budget domestic airlines put the long distance tour and charter market into decline and Moreland Bus decided to concentrate on their two route’s, the school bus market and continue their strong relationship with Greyhound and scale back the tour charter side of the business. Moreland Bus currently enjoys a strong position in the school bus market in the Northern Suburbs servicing many customers across several decades. In 2007 the Wrights invested into a 50% share in a neighbouring operator Broadmeadows Bus Company which had a similar mix route service and school bus contracts. This company was sold four years later with the other exiting 50% shareholder to another local business.
At the start of the next decade Peter Wright decided, after more than forty years working fulltime on the business, to step back from the day to day involvement in the company while still maintaining an active mentoring role to his sons. At this time Peter, Michael & Robert embarked on an exciting next charter for the family bus business. While continuing to operate Moreland Bus in November 2012 they purchased Gippsland Bus Services in Wonthaggi from the Holtham’s which had a mix of route service, private school runs and chartered services. Then in April 2013 purchased the neighbouring operator on Phillip Island from the Evans Family, Phillip Island Bus Lines which operates a mix of route service, school services and general charter. South Coast Bus is born from these two businesses combining and with depots in both Cowes and Wonthaggi they are now providing professional bus services to the South Gippsland and Bass Coast Regions also.
Moreland Bus and South Coast Bus will continue to specialize in the school and general charter and constantly invest in a modern fleet to service these customers.